The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-27
ottawa,s Reception of Lansdowne.

OTTAWA May Ex-Governor general and
Lady Lansdowne arrived home from Toronto at
$50 o'clock this afternoon. They had received
an enthusiastic welcome all along the route, and
the demonstration at Ottawa was the grandest
in the city. The thorough
fares about the station were blockaded
for great distance, while. all the
streets through which the procession was
to pass were lined on both sides by
enthusiastic citizens anxious to honor the Gov
ernor-general. The street decorations were on
grand scale, the whole city presenting Holt
day appearance. A large deputation from the
citizens reception committee awaited the arrival
of the train bearing the viceregal party. When
the train halted at the station rousing
cheers were given. Lord and Lady Lansdowne
on leaving the train entered a fourth hand, ac-
land, president of the citizens commi ttee and
the procession started. The route along
Queen, Wellington Bank, Sparks and Elgin
streets to Cartier square The procession was
headed by the bicycle club and escort of
three hundred mounted citizens, and SIX brass
bands were distributed through the procession.
A very large number of vehicles and private
citizens followed. At Cartier square
grand stand had been erected and
occupied by about two thousand school children,
who sang a chorus of welcome. There
enormous concourse in the square, estimates
varying from IL, 900 to 20, coo persons, thouands
having come from the surrounding counties, as
we'll as from Hull and the suburbs of Ottawa.
The address of welcome felicitated the Governor
general on the regard and esteem in which he is
held in Ottawa. referred to the progress the city
has made during his term OF office, ane
pressed the devotion of the city to the Gu
1t contained reference to William OBr
After the address read, Rev. Father Da
read jubilee ode. The Governor general.
after thanking the citizens for their magnificent
welcome, said:
/ feel reflect the good will which exists between
us, rather than my own deserts. 1 afraid.
however. that even upon this assumption l can
not entirely account for the extraordinary recep-
ton which we have encountered at the hands of
your people. We have often returned to your
city after tours of various duration in the
country. and we have always done
so quietly. L might almost say
without attracting observation, and with no
other greeting than friendly salutaton from
any passing acquaint ance whom we happened to
meet upon way to the Government House. I
do not think 1 shall be far wrong in saying that
know each other well that able to
dispense, a rule, with everything in the
shape of formalities and public demonstra-
tons of regard Well, sir, how are we
to explain the change which has taken place upon
this occasion2 We have had such a reception as,
l will venture to say, has never been accorded to
any Governor general before. Triumphant arch
es are raised in our honor, your streets are dec
Grated along our course and your citizens assem-
bed in thousands to greet u.s. I am afraid
I cannot account for all this upon the
theory that the purpose for which we have alb
sented ourselves from the city for few weeks
has been such as to merit such exuberant marks
of appreciation at your hands. L have not sup
pressed rebellion, nor have / annexed a
province to the Dominion. We have simply
been spending. in most agreeable manner
a period of three weeks in the capital
of your province. where experienced at the
hands of its loyal and enterprislng people most
gratifying and enthusiastic welcome wherever
and whenever we showed ourselves, in schools
and colleges, factories and workshops. In all
places where people assembled for pur-
poses serious grave it good fort
une to encounter outbursts of loyalty
has to Inc taken '' place in Ottawa as "I this
evening accompanied, am glad to note, with
similar token of good will and kindness towards
ourselves. Now, sir how are we TO account for
this exceptional and unusual display of your
confidence and good-willl 1 have made inc uiries
and endeavored to arrive at some explana-
ton of the facts, and l am given to
understand that the explanation is this:
That since we saw you last an invasion Of Can
ada has taken place. and that invasion has not
been successful. learn that the invasion
in some respects remarkable The invading force
was not numerically strong. II made up
however. in intrepidity for its weak
have taken, at she outset of its operations.
step which is, l believe, not unusual with a
skilled strategst. 1t seized possession OF tele
graph wires through which Information or the
most startling character was literally poured
into the country. L understand further OBJ
ject of the invaders was to overrun the
country, and. above all things, to put
to fight a certain high official of the state. of
whom unless I misunderstood what has taken
place upon this occasion, the people OF Ottawa
are not particularly anxious to get rid OF just at
present Well, sir. there appears to have been
one weak point in the arrangement We all know
that one OF the most important departments in the
military service is that which is known the
intelligence department, in which information
bearing upon any operations which may be in
contemplation is collected. In this case, the in
vaders were completely misled by their intelli-
gence department They had been assured that
the moment they showed themselves there would
be a great rising of the natives Well,
ir the general rising took place. but unfortu
nateiy for these calculations it was on the side
of the defenders, and not that of the attack
ing party. Now, the end of all this has been
that the invasion is over; that Canada is still
part of the British empire; that the Gov
ernor is sull her Majestys representative
here nay more, l think we might also
say that. but for the events which / have de-
scribed, he would not have received the mag
nificent reception accorded by the people
of Toronto, which you have followed this even